Search location by ZIP code

NEWS ARCHIVE

U.S. Rep. Grothman thinks President Trump is doing a good job, but wishes he'd tweet less

Milwaukee state Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa says there's fear in her district

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 10:00 AM CST Feb 26, 2017

U.S. Rep. Grothman thinks President Trump is doing a good job, but wishes he'd tweet less

Milwaukee state Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa says there's fear in her district

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 10:00 AM CST Feb 26, 2017

MILWAUKEE —

Republican U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman of the 6th Congressional District says he wants to see President Donald Trump take the lead on the federal budget in his address to Congress Tuesday night.

Grothman was a guest Sunday on "UPFRONT with Mike Gousha," produced in partnership with Wispolitics.com.

Advertisement

"Obviously there’s a disagreement behind the scenes among Republicans the degree to which we should reduce some federal spending to work our way toward a balanced budget," Grothman said.

"I hope Donald Trump weighs in on that area, and winds up introducing a budget that’s a good, responsible budget, as opposed to those who weren’t going to cut spending," he said.

Overall, Grothman said he thinks Trump is doing a good job and praised his cabinet choices, Supreme Court nominee, executive orders and regulation repeal.

"Like a lot of people, I wish he’d tweet a little bit less. Sometimes it doesn’t seem that presidential. But he is who he is," Grothman said.

Grothman traveled around his district last week on recess, but didn’t hold any town hall meetings. He said he will hold some in April.

Some Republican congressman around the country have been confronted by angry constituents at town halls this year. Many are unhappy over Trump and possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

"We’re going to do some in April and see what happens," Grothman said. "I think I always had a good relationship with the protesters when I was in Madison."

Also on the program, state Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa, D-Milwaukee, said there is "real fear" in her majority-Latino district over Trump’s immigration and deportation policies.

"There’s real fear in the community right now and uncertainty because we don’t know all the facts," she said.

"These are dark days for immigrant families. I personally am fearful for them and I want to make sure I give them the most accurate information," she said.

She said the one of the consequences of Trump’s immigration and deportation polices would be "diminished public safety for all of us."

"We need this community of people to feel that they can reach out to their local law enforcement," she said. "And if they think that they or their family members will be at risk for immediate deportation without due process, well then those calls aren’t going to be made."

Gousha also talked to Natasha Kassulke, a former editor of Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine.

In his 2017-2019 state budget, Gov. Scott Walker proposed eliminating the DNR publication. The administration has said the magazine, which covers Wisconsin wildlife, plant life, natural features, hunting, fishing, and other environmental topics, is not a core mission of the agency.

"It embodies the department’s mission," said Kassulke, who said she left the magazine after the DNR started requiring her to submit articles to agency leadership for approval.

"I really think it does nothing to help the budget. It could end up costing the state money to eliminate it. There’s something more at play here, and I really believe it is a continuation of creating a vacuum of information on science and data-driven decision making," she said.

The magazine is self-supporting through subscription fees, and Kassulke said she was hopeful that lawmakers and the administration would come to see the value of it, if people speak out in support of the publication.